Does cot death run in families?
No, less than 1% of cot deaths is due to an inherited disorder, such as an enzyme deficiency. It is very rare for cot death to occur twice within the same family. Why are the police involved? The law requires that a coroner investigate all sudden and unexpected deaths in infants (and adults) to certify the cause of death. The coroner’s representative, usually a police officer, will ask the parents for information. The police are authorised to investigate unexpected deaths, and they may visit the home, take photographs and perhaps remove the baby s bedding. Is there any support for parents who have had a cot death and are having another baby? Yes, the Care of the Next Infant (CONI) programme, run by FSID (Foundation of the Study of Infant Death) in conjunction with the NHS, offers advice, support and practical help to cot-death parents in the care of their next baby. This programme is also available to families whose babies have died for other reasons, the extended families of cot-death
